More Ghanaian deportees from US expected in coming weeks

More charter planes will be arriving in Ghana in the next few weeks with Ghanaians deported from the United States of America, according to the US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson.

The Trump administration has been embarking on massive deportation of other nationals illegally living in the US and some 7000 Ghanaians will be affected.

One of President Donald Trump’s earliest pledges was to rid the United States of illegal immigrants.

Already there have been about 100 Ghanaians who have been deported in 2017.

Ambassador Jackson said to Citi News: “I would say roughly 100 have returned so far this year. More will be returning – it is a constant process. There will probably be a charter aircraft coming with some Ghanaians in the next few weeks. Almost every week we see a few leave voluntarily so its is a process that is ongoing.”

In 2016, the United States deported 108 Ghanaian immigrants for reasons including drug-related offences, staying illegally, overstaying their permits and other crimes.

In November 2016, a batch of the deportees refused to leave their plane in protest of alleged inhumane treatment, including shackling before and during the journey.

In this instance, Ambassador Jackson noted that, pending the arrival of the oncoming batch of deportees, some of the Ghanaians are still in jail in the United States.

“A few are in jail. Most of them are at liberty but they have been informed by the immigration service that they must leave the United States,” he said.

In February 2017, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs came out to deny allegations it authorised the deportation of some undocumented Ghanaians living abroad.

The Ministry described such rumours as deliberate attempts to malign the sector minister, Shirley Ayorkor-Botchwey.